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Ted Nugent Love Grenade Review by Greg Olma What can you say about Ted Nugent that hasn’t already been said? I have followed his career since Double Live Gonzo and rarely has he disappointed. I didn’t understand the Damn Yankees move but it did sell well. I was really looking forward to this release because his last output Caveman was such a brutal record that I thought that Nugent was having his “second coming”. Well, Love Grenade may not be as consistently on target as Caveman but it sure does come close. With Love Grenade, Nugent lets out more of his humorous side with tunes like “Funk U” and “Girl Scout Cookies”. I have always respected Nugent for taking a stand and telling it how it is but his political views recently have over-shadowed his music. I hope this record lets people know that he rocks with the best of them and whether you agree or disagree with him, we can all still get together to enjoy some good ol’ rock and roll. This review is available in book format (hardcover and paperback) in Music Street Journal: 2007 Volume 5 at lulu.com/strangesound.

Track by Track Review

Love Grenade The album starts off with a mid tempo rocker that has a nice 70’s riff with an 80’s style chorus. This track would have fit on the first Ted Nugent record or Free For All. It has that older Nugent vibe that we have come to love.

Still Raising Hell The Nuge kicks it up a notch on this fast rocker. I would have opened the record with this cut but I’m not Ted Nugent so there ya go. Uncle Nugent does some nice guitar work and plays a solo that fits it just perfectly.

Funk U Things don’t let up on this track. We get another fast paced rocker that adds in a little modern metal in the middle. The lyrics are your typical tongue in cheek that only Nugent seems to be able to pull off.

Girl Scout Cookies Aside from the lyrics, which are kind of a joke, this is one heavy tune. There is a certain Judas Priest style of guitar riffing that makes it’s presence. It reminds me of a tune on Hell Bent For Leather.

Journey to the Center of the Mind Here is an upgraded version of the Amboy Dukes’ classic. It has more of a modern sound but I think that has more to do with the technology available today than a rearrangement of the song. Although it is a good song, I don’t really think it fits the rest of the CD.

Geronimo & Me This cut has a great funky groove and no one does it better than Nugent. He is the master of these kinds of riffs and this is the type of tune that will go over really well live.

Eagle Brother I hear an older 70’s vibe on this instrumental. The guitar work is subtle but if you listen closely, it does have a lot going on in it. All of that is laid over a solid tribal beat. This is music that gets you pumped up and ready to kick some a**. Maybe Nugent should send a tape of this over to our troops in Iraq.

Spirit of the Buffalo This tune has a southern rock feel to it but it builds as it goes along. Clocking in at almost 7 ½ minutes, it is a long tune but at no point does it overstay its welcome. There are a lot of great tunes here but somehow I keep gravitating to this one.

Aborigine Of all the tracks on Love Grenade, this is the one that does nothing for me. It’s got a little of that funk rock that “Geronimo & Me” has but somehow it doesn’t work as well. The chorus also goes on too long.

Stand Here we get Nugent’s statement to the world. He is unapologetic and God Bless him, he is one of the few people that says what he wants and stands behind it (unlike most politicians). Musically, it’s a catchy tune that is almost over before it begins which surprises me because he uses the shortest tune to make his statement. Either way, it’s a cool track.

Bridgeside Here is a cut that has a latter day Ted Nugent sound to it. It is really catchy and, although it doesn’t quite fit the sound of the rest of the album, it is a nice slice of newer Nugent.

Bridge Over Troubled Daughters The Judas Priest riffing rears it’s head again and it has that Free For All feel. This is more of the stuff that Nugent was doing back in the 70’s. It’s a really good song which surprises me that it is so far down in the track listing.

Lay With Me Nugent and the boys deliver a 100% blues tune that finishes the record in fine form. This is the real old time blues that you would hear in blues clubs, not the pseudo blues that has become the “flavor” of the day with many artists.

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